


Mountain Sound

by typicaltorii



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Adoption, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Child Neglect, Domestic, Explicit Language, Gen, Headcanon, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, NOT MAXVID YA NASTIES, No Romance, OOC David, Smoking, Tags May Change, adoption au, dadvid, david is just trying to get by man, david watches dwts and you can fight me on that, it's max what do you expect, life post-camp, max's dad ain't important, more characters to come! - Freeform, yeah gwen smokes sue me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-15 14:51:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12323217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/typicaltorii/pseuds/typicaltorii
Summary: “Someone tried calling the camp earlier. I know because the call forwarded to my cell at work and nearly got me fired. I checked the number and it was an area code I didn’t recognize. I tried to call it back and it sent me to Max’s voicemail. I don’t know why he tried to call the camp but it’s got me really concerned.”David sat back, dumbfounded by the what he was hearing. The weight in his stomach pressed into his ribs and made him gasp for breath. Why would Max call the camp if he knew it was closed? Was he trying to get ahold of him or Gwen?





	1. Rough Day

**Author's Note:**

> alright so this is my first fanfiction I've written for this site so please, be gentle. oh, and this is dadvid. not maxvid. please please please don't confuse the two.
> 
> this story is set after the summer, but all the campers are the same age, so Max is 10, David is 24, so on and so on.
> 
> David may seem out of character and i'm sorry if he is. my headcanon for David is that he is really a huge nice guy but that his camp personality is just the exaggerated version of his real self.
> 
> anyway, without further ado...

Offices always made David twitchy. He genuinely didn’t think it was normal for people to be cooped up under the flickering fluorescent lights, hunched over their cramped desks in stiff white shirts with nothing but the mind-numbing clacking of typing filling the stale air. It drove him crazy, making his restless leg syndrome kick it up a couple notches. And how was he expected not to talk to the people around him? He loved being sociable, chatting up the cashiers at the grocery store and the daily commuters on the bus in the mornings. Sitting still and being quiet was no way to live.

But neither was homeless and out of work. With the camp closed for the fall and the elementary school he subbed for suffering from major budget cuts, he had no choice but to take the first offer that landed in his lap. His job wasn’t even that horrible to begin with. When his coworkers found out he knew his way around putting together a basic spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel, they began to revere him. His boss, Jeremy, wasn’t all too bad either. Maybe a little pushy sometimes, but so was a lot of his old campers. Nothing he wasn’t already prepared for.

But he wasn’t prepared for this.

It had been a long day. The buses’ schedules had gotten messed up because of a three car pile-up on the highway, which meant an extra hour and a half added to his already long commute from the northern part of the city to his rather ragged apartment building downtown. Storm clouds rolled in around noon and started dumping buckets on David as he meandered his way home from the bus stop down the street, and when he got to stairs leading up to his apartment building, he dropped his cheap flip phone on the sidewalk and sent a spider web of cracks across the upper left hand corner of his screen. It took all of David’s patience not to throw a tantrum in front of his building as he leaned over to pick up his phone.

He climbed the stairs, sluggishly digging his key out of his pocket and unlocking the front door to kick off his soaked shoes in the front entryway. His apartment was cozy, as he would usually say in a more positive mood, but David, for all his worth, just couldn’t manage to shake the rain cloud from over his head today. The studio apartment barely had enough room for the essentials, a small partition wall separating his double bed from the living room and no visible difference between the kitchen and the living room. Thank god his bathroom was very modestly walled off from the rest of the apartment, complete with a door and everything. It was a major step up from his last apartment.

A portable TV was set up at the end of the kitchen table, and David didn’t waste any time flicking it on and switching it to Dancing with the Stars as he began to prepare himself a microwaveable mac and cheese. Between cheering for the dancing couples (everyone was just so good this season) and peeling off his monkey suit in exchange for a pair of basketball shorts and his worn red t-shirt, he nearly missed the sweet chimes his phone made when he was getting a call. It was from Gwen, a welcome surprise since he hadn’t heard from her for nearly a month now. David answered the phone, minding the cracks on his screen as he cradled the phone between his ear and shoulder so he could fish his mac and cheese from the microwave.

“Hello Gwen,” David greeted, feeling his ever present smile creep onto his face whenever he talked to his councilor buddy for life.

“Hey David,” Gwen said, her voice low as usual, “Haven’t talked in a bit. How are you doing?”

“Missing Camp Campbell. The real world is so much harder than having fun and goofing around all day. How about you?”

There was a moment of silence from the line that made David immediately settle into his beaten up couch and mute the TV. He waited for Gwen to say something for several seconds before he heard a sigh.

“You already know why I’m calling, don’t you?”

A deep weight settled in David’s stomach as he watched the steam escape from his dinner. He suddenly didn’t really feel like eating. He rested the microwave dinner beside him on his couch as he said slowly, “This is about Max, isn’t it?”

“I just can’t help but to think back to the last day of camp. I mean, yeah, he got picked up and taken home, but didn’t his parent seem kinda… I don’t know, off? Like, I don’t know if his dad was drunk or high or something but you could just see Max didn’t really want to go with him and I can’t help but thinking that maybe-,” Gwen rambled, reminding David of the curly haired boy as he stared at David through the back windshield of the dust covered sedan, eyes uneasy as the car pulled away from Camp Campbell. Max wasn’t wearing the usual look of a camper excited to share their summer with their parents, but of distrust and regret. Pain shot through David’s chest as the snapshot flashed in his head.

“Gwen. I know. I worry too. But there is nothing you and I can do. His dad picked him up and took him home,” David murmured, trying to interject in Gwen’s anxious monologue, “But why are you calling me about this? You and I both decided that we should just stay out of it. We don’t exactly have the best history when getting involved with family matters.”

“And I get that, but something weird happened today. You know how I made sure that the phone line for the camp was connected with my cell phone before we locked up for the fall,” Gwen asked, her voice rising with concern. David cradled his head in his hands.

“Yeah.”

“Someone tried calling the camp earlier. I know because the call forwarded to my cell at work and nearly got me fired. I checked the number and it was an area code I didn’t recognize. I tried to call it back and it sent me to Max’s voicemail. I don’t know why he tried to call the camp but it’s got me really concerned.”

David sat back, dumbfounded by the what he was hearing. The weight in his stomach pressed into his ribs and made him gasp for breath. Why would Max call the camp if he knew it was closed? Was he trying to get ahold of him or Gwen?

David realized with a jolt that he hadn’t responded in a couple moments and stuttered, “I-I-I don’t know what to say. Did you leave him a voicemail or…?”

“Yeah. I just told him I was sorry for missing my call and if he needed to reach me to try my cell next time,” Gwen muttered. She sounded exhausted, and David could just imagine her slumped against a wall outside of the restaurant she worked at, a cigarette clutched between her fingers and sheltered from the downfall of rain.

“Well I’m glad you did. I don’t think this is anything to keep us up at night. Now, if Max needs anything, you’re just a phone call away,” David said comfortingly, hoping his words soothed his friend even though they did nothing to calm him.

“Yeah...yeah, you’re right,” Gwen said, her voice a little less strained, “Well, I gotta go. Duty calls. I’ll talk to you later, David.”

“Talk to you later, Gwen. Goodnight,” David could barely say the rest of his sentence before Gwen hung up, leaving him alone with his thoughts, a semi-cold bowl of mac and cheese, and the soft patter of rain against his window.


	2. Work With Me Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> because what the fuck is sleep amiright

It was another two weeks before David heard from Gwen again. He was mindlessly typing away at yet another spreadsheet in the oppressing hush of his cubicle, trying to get this project done before 5pm rolled around so he wouldn’t be stuck with more to do tomorrow. David swore up and down that his paperwork and graphs and presentations were never going away and were constantly going to be replaced with more projects and deadlines and stress. As he started to stretched his arms above his head to get some of the blood flowing back to his legs, his phone vibrated erratically in his back pocket. He rushed to stand up, grabbing his phone and nearly tripping over his trash can in his rush to the break room at the other end of the floor.

“Gwen? Is everything alright,” David huffed, ducking into the break room and closing the glass door behind him in some effort for privacy.

“David oh thank god,” Gwen said in one breath, her voice breathy and panicked, “I need your help.”

“My help?”

“It’s Max,” Gwen said, her words causing David’s stomach to plummet to the floor. All the worst scenarios were going through his head. “He finally called me back. He told me he ran away from home. I don’t know what to do.”

“He...what,” David parroted, words failing him. His thoughts were racing a mile a minute. Why did Max run away? Where is he now? Is he safe? Is he in danger? “Where is he?”

“He didn’t know. He just said he needed a ride and not to freak out, but of course I’m freaking out because he’s ten years old! Who wouldn’t freak out,” Gwen said in a hurry before a loud crash came from the background and a loud shout cut Gwen short.

David couldn’t help feeling the bubble of panic climbing up his own throat and pushed it down before he got as nervous as Gwen was. She needed a rock right now, not a buoy.

“Okay, okay. I’ll see if I can get off early and go find him. Text me his number and I’ll call him as soon as I can,” David assured, feeling a little better now that he had a plan to follow. He started chewing on his lip as he thought of all the back alleys and shady gas stations Max could be hanging around.

“Thank you, David. Thank you so fucking much,” Gwen said, relief flooding her voice, “I have to go. I wasn’t supposed to dip out of the restaurant like this.”  
“It’s alright. Talk to you later, Gwen.”

“Bye David.”

David placed a hand to his beating heart, knees a little weak from the news. He regained his strength and pulled the glass door open, heading straight to Jeremy’s office with more purpose than he ever had working here. He knocked twice, waiting for Jeremy to call out before opening the door.

“David, why are you here,” Jeremy asked, turning away from his monitor and sitting forward in his leather desk chair.

“Sir, I-I’m really sorry but I need to leave early today-,” David started, nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot under the scrutinizing stare of his manager.

Jeremy didn’t waste one moment diving into questioning David about his request. “And why is that, David?”

“Well, you see, uh, Max,” David stuttered, brain thinking as fast as it could so he could get out of there as fast as he could, “My boy, Max, uh, had a problem at school, and they need me to pick him up. Right now.”

“Didn’t know you had a son, David,” Jeremy commented, leaning back in his chair, making his demeanor seem even more icy somehow, “I suppose I can allow this one time, but please do try to keep these occurrences to a minimum. Understood?”

“Yes sir. Sorry sir,” David apologized, bowing out of his manager’s office before any more questions could be asked. He just needed to get his wallet and keys from his desk and get out of there.

David was relieved to see a text from Gwen with an unfamiliar phone number. As soon as David stepped out of the building, he dialed the number Gwen had sent to him and painfully waited through three rings before he heard a click and the frustrated voice of a ten year old runaway say, “Jesus, David, could you have waited any longer to call me?”

“Max! You’re alright! Are you alright? Where are you? Are you by any busy places and brightly lit areas,” David rattled off, pacing in front of the office building’s doors. He knew he was attracting some attention, but he really didn’t care.

“Chill, David. And yeah, I’m in a Dunkin Donuts. Gwen said you were gonna come get me,” Max’s voice switched from annoyed to relaxed so suddenly it made David pause. His worry, however, did not subside.

“That’s the plan. What’s the address of the Dunkin Donuts,” David asked. Max went quite for a second, presumably to check the address, before coming back to the line.

“7649 11th Street,” Max said, “Anyway, I gotta go. This number isn’t gonna work for much longer, but I promise I’ll be right here, so hurry your ass up and get over here.”

David nodded once, before remembering Max couldn’t see him, and started to walk down the street towards 11th Street. “I’m on my way. Please don’t move.”

“Whatever, dickhead,” Max said before the line went dead. David upped his fast walk to a dead sprint, determined to get to Max as quickly as humanly possible. Admittedly, 11th Street wasn’t really anywhere near David’s work, he was still wearing a long sleeve shirt and slacks from work, and it was the middle of an uncharacteristically warm September, so it took a little over 45 minutes to reach the Dunkin Donuts Max said he was in. David cupped his hand to the glass, looking for the familiar flop of dark curls that was undeniably Max.

To David’s great relief, Max was sitting by the door, a paper bag and backpack next to him as he stared blankly up at the ceiling. David nearly thought he was okay until he did a double take and noticed the black eye Max was sporting on the right side of his face. It was mostly healed, just a little bit of blue and green coloring his lid, but it still made David’s throat close and his eyes tear up.

As if on cue, Max lifted his head and stared David point blank in eye, making David back away from the glass like it burned him. Max just stood up, grabbed his backpack, and made his way outside. David watched him carefully, not letting himself show the pity or nervousness that was flooding his mind. Max wouldn’t want him to pity him. He just wasn’t that kind of kid.

“Hey David,” Max smirked, shoving his hands into his trademark blue hoodie and looking up at the man, “Miss me?”

David just smiled his chipper grin, wanting to be just like the David Max knows, “Well of course, Max! Almost as much as I miss Camp Campbell!”

Max pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing, “Well I haven’t fucking missed you.” Max looked around, surveying the street and nearby buildings. “So. Where’s the ride?”

David’s smile nearly slipped for a second in utter confusion.

“What do you mean Max?”

“Well I told Gwen I needed a ride, she said you would come get me. Just kinda assumed you’d be giving me a ride,” Max said, his eyes shifting from the street to David and back, “And we better hurry. That was burn phone I used and that Dunkin Donuts doesn’t have security cameras, so we’re safe for now, but the longer we stick around here the more witnesses there are.”

“Witnesses? Burn phone? Max, I gotta say I don’t really know what you’re talking about right now,” David admitted, rubbing a hand along the back of his neck and his voice giving away his unease.

“You moron. We gotta go. Now,” Max said, glaring up at David and crossing his arms.

David opened his mouth, trying to choose his words carefully, “Max, I don’t own a car. I walked here. I just came to make sure you were safe and not in immediate danger. I just thought you might have needed a ride home…”

Max’s look of displeasure flashed with a hint of an emotion David couldn’t name before settling into a stony look. “Fine,” he said slowly, before turning away and pushing past David, “I knew this was a waste of time. Forget you saw me.”

David whipped around, terror striking him as he watched Max walk away from him. He shouted, “Where are you going? Max?!”

“None of your fucking business, David,” Max shouted over his shoulder. David felt that bubble of panic again, and jogged up to match Max’s speed walk away from the Dunkin Donuts.

“It is my business! Where are you going,” David protested, reaching out to grab Max’s arm before being violently shoved away.

“Right now, away from you,” Max roared, turning on David sharply and staring him down, “I’m not going anywhere because I don’t have anywhere to go, you fucking idiot. I’m just trying to get away from this shit hole of a city and all the insignificant assholes in it, and you’re not about to stop me! You’re not about to make me go back because I swear to god if you even attempt to take me back I will kill you!”

Max turned away, nearly running up the street. David immediately sprung into action, chasing the kid about a block before he started to slow down. David fell behind as Max slowed to a stop. He kept his back to David, and he wasn’t even sure if Max knew he was behind him, before Max turned around with an unreadable expression, eyes cast down.

“Why did you follow me,” Max asked in a hollow, albeit raspy, voice that sent shivers down David’s back.

“I wasn’t gonna let you run off alone,” David panted, sweat beading heavily down his back in his button up. He straightened up, taking in a breath before kneeling on the ground in front of the rebellious ten year old and trying to get the boy to meet his eyes.

“Max, if you don’t want to go back, fine by me,” He started to say, gauging Max’s reaction, “But I’m not gonna let you run off on me. If I lost you right now, Gwen would be so worried.” He paused. “I would be so worried. I’m not gonna force you to go back home, okay? But you’re gonna need to work with me here.”

Max slowly looked up, his face blank but his eyes swimming with emotion. Max didn’t say anything, just nodded before re-examining his shoes. David gave Max’s shoulder a light squeeze before standing up and dusting off his pants.

“Alright, let’s, uh,” David fumbled, looking around. They weren’t on a corner he recognized, but he saw a small waiting area for a bus and smiled in relief, “Let’s head back to my place, okay? I’ll call Gwen and tell her to meet us there and then we’ll figure out what to do next.”

Max said nothing, but followed David onto the bus and the two sat in radio silence the entire ride back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was too awake to sleep so what did i do? write another chapter
> 
> i feel like if i don't keep this writing train going i'm gonna fail this precious story before it ever gets off the ground. oops.
> 
> anyway! comment and give kudos and maybe even bookmark, ey? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	3. At Least There's Pizza

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am rushing to post this because I have to be at work in thirty minutes soooo oops  
> preemptive sorry for any grammar mistakes

David called Gwen on the bus ride back, assuring her that yes, Max is with him, he’s safe, and they’re heading back to his apartment for the time being. He relayed his address back to her, and Gwen promised to meet them when they got there. She hung up right after, and David knew she was probably hurrying her way out of her job to get there as soon as she could.

Max still hadn’t said anything since they got on the bus. It gave David the perfect opportunity to examine the adolescent in front of him. Max was still the same cynical, little brat David had always known, but he seemed rougher somehow. It may have been the bruise under his eye, or maybe the frayed ends of his sleeves, or possibly the paleness of his skin. Heavy bags ringed his eyes, and it looked like his lip had been cracked open but was mostly healed. David felt a pang of pity shoot through his heart and quickly looked away so Max wouldn’t see his expression. Max needed to be helped, not pitied. He would probably punch David if he thought David was pitying him. A light laugh escaped David at the mental image of the ten year old swinging at him.

After three buses and two changes, David finally stepped of the vehicle, Max following him without much of a fight. David had to appreciate his cooperation, even if he had no idea why Max was just blindly following him.

“Hey, camp man,” Max said, catching David’s attention. He had his usual, soul-piercing stare turned full blast on him, “You aren’t about to lead me to some back alley and murder me, are you?”

David nearly laughed at the ridiculous statement, but opted for an incredulous smile instead, “No, Max. I’m not about to lead you to some back alley and murder you. What good would that do me?”

Max nearly smiled at that before setting his mouth in his usual pout and motioning for David to keep moving. David lead the way down the street and up the stairs to his apartment. Waiting in front of his door was Gwen, cigarette burning slowly as she inhaled, lost in thought. Upon seeing her coworker’s bright red hair, she quickly threw the half-finished cigarette to the ground, stomping it out and turning to the approaching duo.

“I wasn’t smoking,” she said quickly, trying to hide the crushed embers by her shoes. She looked past David and saw Max, and her sheepish look turned to one of complete annoyance, “Max, you little shit, do you know how worried I’ve been?!”

“Woah, chill Gwen. I told you not to freak out. I had everything under control,” Max replied, annoyance matching Gwen’s as he stepped past David.

David had to bite his tongue to remind Max that, really, he didn’t since he had no place to go, but that would have just added fuel to the fire. Instead, he skirted past the two of them, unlocking his apartment door and turning on the lights. He turned back to the two staring each other down and cleared his throat, “Why don’t we all come inside, okay?”

Max stared for a second longer before breaking eye contact and marching into the apartment, curls bouncing with every step. Gwen looked up at David, a bit of shame gracing her features as she followed Max in, letting David close the door.

“Ya know, I would have expected your apartment to be a bit more...I don’t know...woodsy. Not this,” Max said, surveying the cramped apartment before his eyes landed on the half wall separating the bed and the couch, “Studio apartment. Makes sense I guess.”

“It’s not too fancy, but it is home,” David chirped, closing the door and taking off his dress shoes by the door, slipping out of his suit jacket and hanging it on the wobbly coat rack next to him. He gestured to Max’s backpack, but Max tightened his grip on the straps and turned away, making his way towards the sofa and falling onto it. David brushed it off, taking Gwen’s jacket from her and hanging it next to his, “Would you all like something to drink? I’ve got water, V8, and I think maybe a couple cans of ginger ale.”

“Water is fine with me,” Gwen said as she removed her shoes and swung a kitchen chair to face the couch. Max agreed and slunk deeper into the couch, avoiding eye contact with either of his ex-councilors.

David returned with three waters, taking up a seat on the opposite side of the couch from Max and held his glass tightly in his hands. He glanced over at Gwen, noticing her eyes already on Max, before turning his attention to the boy. A few moments of silence passed before Max growled, “What, you freaks?”

“Nothing,” David yelped, sitting up straighter and bore holes into wood floor.

“Max,” Gwen started, meeting David’s eyes as she continued, “We don’t know how we’re supposed to help you.”

“Well, the initial plan was to get a ride out of the city, but that isn’t happening.”

“Max,” David chided, forest green eyes meeting emerald, “You know that we aren’t gonna help you leave the city, but we are adults. We can help in any other way. But first, we kind of have to know...why you decided on running away.”

Max stared at his red sneakers, red coloring flooding his cheeks and his eyebrows knitting together. David nearly thought it was a blush of shame or embarrassment until Max spat, “Because I couldn’t fucking stand another minute at the shitty fucking house with that shitty fucking man.”

David’s jaw fell slack. He had never heard Max this angry before, never heard so much venom come from such a little kid.

Max was ranting now, his voice getting fractionally louder with every word, “I couldn’t fucking stand sitting around, fucking starving, in a cold, dark house with a stupid moron sitting on his ass getting high all the time! I shouldn’t be expected to put up with the fucking yelling, with the ‘punishments’ he decided I needed for no goddamn reason.” Max turned sharply to David, making him cower away from him. His voice dropped to a whisper, sending shivers down David’s spine. “You wanna know why I left? You told me I deserve to be happy. Well, I wasn’t fucking happy.”

Ice was coursing through David’s veins. Silence hung in the air for a moment longer before Gwen coughed, sitting up and saying, “Max. I’m so sorry. If we had known, we wouldn’t have let you gone back home with him.”

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about,” Max sighed, deflating like a balloon as he sunk back into the couch, “You didn’t know.”

“But we do now,” David’s voice wobbled as he piped up, “We’re not gonna take you back there, Max. I won’t let it happen.”

Max looked over to David, green eyes swimming with defeat as he scanned David’s face. Max looked so tired, like he would fall over any minute now.

“Go lay down on my bed. You look like you haven’t slept in days,” David joked, nodding towards the bed, “I’ll order a pizza and we can talk some more when you wake up, okay?”

Max wearily looked over at the bed, hesitating a moment before kicking off his shoes and backpack before trudging over to David’s bed and flopping face first into the quilted comforter. Before long, Max’s breathing had gotten deeper and light snores were resounding from the bundle of blankets.

Gwen sighed, stretching her arms over her head and wiping tiredly at her face, “That kid deserves so much more.”

“Yeah,” David loosened his tie, letting his head fall back on the couch, “He’s a bit difficult sometimes, but he’s a good kid.” David stood up, reaching into his pocket for his phone but Gwen caught his wrist before he could flip it open.

“I’ll pay for the pizza. My treat,” she smiled, making her brown eyes crinkle.

“Oh. Alright,” David replied, setting his phone on the arm rest and moving over to the built in closet next to his bed, pulling out some sweatpants and his Camp Campbell t-shirt before slipping into the bathroom to change.

The pizza didn’t take long to get to them luckily, because David was starving. He tipped the delivery guy a couple extra dollars, closing the door and setting the large pizza down on the kitchen counter. He grabbed a slice from Gwen and himself, setting them on paper plates and bringing it into the living room where Gwen was messing with her phone, texting furiously as her fingers flew over the keys.

“I’m probably gonna have to get going soon. Miranda, you know her, my roommate, said that the handle for the sink snapped off and she has no clue how to fix it,” Gwen said, not looking away from her phone as she accepted the place pushed her way.

“Oh man, those can be tricky,” David commented, returning to his seat on the couch. He tried to keep his voice low so he wouldn’t wake Max.

“Yeah. She’s a ditz but she helps with rent, so I’m kinda stuck with her,” Gwen said between mouthfuls of pizza. She paused from texting before locking her phone and setting it in her lap, “So. Max.”

“Yeah,” David asked, nibbling off the end of the pizza, “What about him?”

“Well, uh,” Gwen started, looking down at her phone and up at David, “Should he...stay with you?”

David faltered halfway through another bite, eyebrows scrunching together as he chewed slowly. Max was more than welcome to stay with him, sure, but the practicality of it was slim to none. David was working overtime just to keep himself fed and clothed. Adding another person, let alone a rambunctious, troublemaking kid, to the equation would only make things harder for him. David swallowed and said slowly, “I mean, finances would be pretty tight, and I really only have one bed, but-”

“That’s not what I meant,” Gwen shook her head, her ponytail swinging slightly, “David, Max hates you. He spent all of summer torturing you. When he wasn’t trying to steal your identity or belittle you in front of everyone, he was literally trying to kill you. I don’t know if you remember the boulder he rigged up to fly into your head, but I do. He’s been gunning for your blood for as long as I can remember, and if he stays with you, it may only get worse.”

Shame washed over David as Gwen’s voice echoed through his head. She was right. How many times had Max said he hated him? Could he even count all the times Max slapped him or hit him or berated him?

“But what other choice do we have? Max can’t go home, I won’t let him,” David sighed, resting his pizza on the armrest next to his phone, “And he can’t stay with you. You have a roommate and you work two jobs. You wouldn’t even have enough time to look after him.”

Gwen hummed as she took another bite of her pizza. She let her head fall before speaking, “Then I guess he’ll have to stay here for now.”

David nodded, resuming his dinner and throwing away their plates before leading Gwen to the door. She slipped into her shoes, taking her jacket from David before giving him a quick, reassuring hug.

“If you need a break from him, or he gets to be too much, let me know and I can take him off your hands for a while,” she murmured into his ear before releasing the lanky man. She sent a small smile his way and said as she walked out the door, “Be careful David. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Talk to you soon, Gwen. Text me when you get home,” David called after her, watching as she waved over her shoulder before stepping down the stairs and into the early dusk light. David closed the door carefully, not wanting to wake Max before turning towards the living room and nearly jumping out of his skin.

“Max! You’re awake,” David said dumbly, watching as the tired boy stepped past the half wall and into the kitchen. He slid a slice of pizza from the cardboard box and began to chew on it, taking a seat on Gwen’s abandoned chair. “How’d you sleep?”

“Well,” Max started, speaking with his mouth full, “You and Gwen wouldn’t shut the hell up, so I didn’t.”

“Oh,” David replied lamely, sitting on the couch and resting his arms on his knees. A ball of dread nestled in his stomach as he blew out a breath, “So, I guess you heard about how you’re gonna stay with me?”

Max nodded, far more interested in seeing how many bites he could shove in his face before getting up for another slice. He returned to his seat, clearing his throat as he said, “I’m not gonna kill you, ya know?”

“What,” David asked, his head shooting up and meeting Max’s eyes, but Max avoided his gaze, looking somewhere off to David’s right.

“I heard what Gwen said. I know I’m an asshole. I tried all summer to get you to crack and I almost did it, too, but I’m not gonna kill you,” Max muttered, before taking another bite of pizza, “But only because this pizza is pretty good. I guess I’ll let you live, idiot.”

David had to admit: he was confused. He didn’t know why Max was being...almost nice. It was a complete 180 from his usual disposition. David studied Max carefully before a realization hit him.

“Max, do you think I don’t want you here,” David cautiosly scooted a little closer to Max, watching as the boy flinched the smallest bit. He knew that was an answer enough.

“Fuck off,” Max growled, swallowing the last bite of pizza before grabbing his backpack and sauntering off towards David’s bed, “I’m going to bed.”

“I do,” David murmured. Max froze at the foot of the bed. “I do want you here.”

“You don’t have to say what I want to hear,” Max snapped, looking over his shoulder at David, but hesitated when he saw the sincere look of David’s face.

“I’m not,” David stepped closer to Max.

Max stiffened, looking over David before saying, “You’ll be miserable.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I could make your life hell.”

“You already have.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“I told you before. You deserve to be happy.”

David’s sentence hung in the air, and the hazy overhead light cast shadows on Max’s face as he looked at his feet. His curls hid his eyes from David, and he slipped into David’s bed without another word. David hugged his arms to himself, going to turn off the overhead light and fell onto the couch. He flipped open his phone, a small smile pulling at his lips when he saw a text from Gwen letting know she got home. Suddenly, from the darkness, Max’s small voice called out, “Do you mean that?”

“What,” David asked, sitting forward a bit to peer around the wall as Max’s rumpled form.

“That I deserve to be happy.”

David smiled, warmth flooding to his toes and over his chest when he replied, “Yes, Max.”

A moment of silence stretched on before Max said anything.

“Goodnight, David.”

“Goodnight, Max,” David replied, laying down on the couch and stretching his legs. He would wake up cramped in the morning, he knew that, but Max was worth more than a good night’s sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyyyy comments are cool. i love responding to them *winkwinknudgenudge*
> 
> also this was seven pages can you believe that


	4. Picture Perfect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first and foremost: thank you to all the wonderful people leaving comments and kudos and bookmarking this work of mine. it's one of my favorite stories i've ever started, and all this support means the absolute world to me. thank you!
> 
> ps: i'm working on the plot for this story as i'm writing it, and gosh darn heck is there a long process for adoption. and even just a temporary home placement for a child. it's a lot. curse me and my tendency to be overly realistic in works of fiction.
> 
> pps: i love my smol insecure sinnamon roll of a son.
> 
> ppps: this chapter took three days to complete. ^^;
> 
> pppps: also, I don't approve of using the word "gay" in a derogatory way, as I myself am gay, but Max is ten and I thought it would be funny.

When Max slowly drifted back to consciousness, he was actually feeling a little at peace. His bed was warm, and the air was quiet with the hush of early morning. It was pleasant; it was startling.

Max shot his arms out, immediately blocking his face as he rolled onto his side, closer towards the wall in a maneuver he perfected over years of being grabbed by his shirt and pulled out of bed for sleeping even a minute longer than he was supposed to. But he would rather take that over a good morning punch any day.

He stilled, listening to his surroundings with greater focus before slowly turning over and opening one bleary eye to the rest of the room. He was met with a bi-folding closet doors, one pushed open to reveal a mountain of clothes spilling out. Next to it was a poster of Smokey the Bear, and next to that was a tall, skinny lamp leaning dangerously away from the corner.

Max sat up slowly, rubbing at his tired eyes. Now that he was more awake, he realized that the air wasn’t completely quiet. Soft murmuring was coming from the living room of David’s apartment, piquing Max’s interest greatly. Was David talking in his sleep? It couldn’t have been past 7am, so he must still be asleep on the couch. Max nearly jumped out of bed at the chance to fuck with David in his sleep, but refrained when he realized it was several voices talking. Max cautioned a look over the half wall, daring a peek at the strangers on the other side.

Max immediately stiffened.

David was sitting on one of his kitchen chairs, facing the couch where a robust female cop was perched on the edge of the couch, holding a steaming mug of what looked like weak coffee. Next to her was a slight man, no older than 30, sitting stiffly as he listened to David talk lowly. Max went to duck back down, crawling back under David’s comforter and pretending none of them were there, but the man caught Max’s eyes over the wall and Max knew he was screwed.

“Ah,” the man said, his voice soft, “Seems someone woke up.”

David turned to look over at Max, smiling at his and gesturing for Max to come over, “Max. Good morning. Sorry if we woke you.”

Max slunk into the living room, expression wary as he eyed Officer Braggins making herself at home in David’s livingroom. David kind of felt sorry for the young one. What a way to wake up to an officer and a social worker sitting barely five feet away from you.

“Max,” David said as Max hovered off to David’s left, “This is Officer Braggins and Mr. McCorrin.” The couple nodded towards Max respectively. “I called them over because of your situation.”

“We heard you ran away. Is that true,” Officer Braggins asked, setting her mug on the ground and leaning forward.

Max’s eyebrows pulled together as he shifted his weight between his feet, “Uh, duh.”

“Max,” David chided gently. Max just rolled his eyes before sighing.

“Yeah, I did.”

“Do you mind explaining why,” Mr. McCorrin inquired. His steely eyes hadn’t left Max once since he’d spotted him, putting Max on edge and just barely goading him into being a stubborn ass just for the hell of it.

“I…,” Max started, glancing at David before meeting Mr. McCorrin’s stare, “I wasn’t happy.”

Mr. McCorrin gestured for Max to continue. Max sighed, grabbing another kitchen chair and turning it towards the trio. He made sure he was just within arm’s reach of David, just in case he needed to be held back. He wasn’t all too great with authority figures. When he was properly adjusted, he pulled his feet up onto the chair and finding a single thing to focus on. All of the stares directed his way made him feel a little antsy.

“My dad threw me out a couple nights ago,” Max decided any point was probably a good starting point, “Told me it was to teach me a lesson about responsibility because I didn’t do the dishes. A few nights before that, he pushed me over and busted my lip on the foot of my bed. Told me to be more manly, stand up for myself, all that bullshit. The weekend before that, he punched me in the eye.” Max paused, a laugh bubbling in his throat at his own gallows’ humor, “That wasn’t to teach me anything. He just wanted to wake me up.”

Max dared a look towards the stranger’s across the room, wearing matching expressions of shock. He didn’t have the courage to look at David. He knew David would pity him, and fuck if that was the last thing he needed.

Max refocused on the shiny police boots Officer Braggins was wearing before clearing his throat, “I don’t think you’d blame me for being a little fed up with the tough love approach.”

The small ticking of Mr. McCorrin’s wristwatch seemed like a grandfather clock as Max slowly looked from person to person. Officer Braggins was slack jawed, a bit of her strawberry blonde hair falling loose from the tight ponytail at the back of her head. Mr. McCorrin was unreadable, expression completely neutral, but his shoulders did sag a little heavier than a few moments ago. Max finally decided to glance at David and found he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the man. David’s face was completely blank. It was unsettling to see absolutely no emotion on such an overtly expressive and empathetic man. Max was still staring at David even when Officer Braggins started to speak.

“Well, so far, from what we’ve heard from you and David, Max, there’s definitely probable cause to investigate a claim of child neglect, endangerment, and abuse. I’ll make sure to send someone out to your house when I leave to see if we can bring your father in for questioning,” Officer Braggins spoke, picking up her mug and finishing off the last of her drink before handing the cup off to David.

“And, on behalf of Child Protective Services, I think it may be best for Max to stay with extended family until more permanent solutions can be put in place,” Mr. McCorrin added, standing up and brushing off his suit.

Max spoke up, stating, “I don’t have any extended family. At least, not in the United States.”

Mr. McCorrin paused, chewing on his lip before looking down at David and then back to Max. He reached up with his hand, massaging the back of his neck, “Okay. Well then…” He met David’s gaze and putting his hand back at his side. “Mr. Green, this is incredibly unorthodox in practice, but Max’s only options are either to come with me to a group home or stay with you for the time being.”

David knew there was no decision on the matter. Max wasn’t about to be shipped off to another part of the city. David wouldn’t be able to sleep, knowing Max was out there alone. It nearly killed David that he already suffered a month of going through that without reaching out to him or Gwen.

“He’ll stay with me,” David hadn’t anticipated his voice sounding so resolute. It nearly caught him off guard. He could see Max’s bright green eyes scanning his face but kept his sights solely on Mr. McCorrin. The man slowly nodded, straightening his suit jacket.

“Then it’s decided, I suppose,” Mr. McCorrin said, turning towards the door. David took this as the chance to stand and move around the guests, turning the handle on the door and letting the man walk through, “We’ll keep in touch, Mr. Green.”

Officer Braggins stood in front of Max, resting a hand lightly on his shoulder and squeezing before saying, “Everything will be okay, Max.”

Max nearly rolled his eyes, but thought better of it in this situation. How shitty would he seem if he rolled at his eyes at an officer of the law trying to assure him his safety and wellbeing?

Actually, screw it, that deserved an eye roll.

“Thank you for coming over today,” David smiled slowly, “Let me know how it goes with Max’s father.”

“Sure,” Officer Braggins nodded on her way out.

“Have a great day,” David called out one final time before closing the door. He sighed, trudging over to the couch and flopping onto it, letting his head lay against the back. Max just noticed how tired David looked. He was still in his sweatpants and camp shirt from last night and his hair was still sticking up in random places from sleep. Outside of camp, David looked so much more human in regular clothes instead of his brown shorts and that yellow bandana he never took off.

“So,” Max started after a second of silence, “You called the cops.”

“Yeah,” David said, not even bothering to lift his head, “Think of it as a preemptive measure. That way, in case your dad files a missing child report, I wouldn’t be arrested for kidnapping.”

Max couldn’t help but chuckle at that. David did have a point.

“Anyway,” David resumed, picking up his head and looking over at Max, “You hungry? I could make breakfast. I think all I have left right now is oatmeal, but there might be some granola bars at the back of the cabinet if that sounds interesting enough. I haven’t been shopping in a couple days, so I don’t have a lot to offer you.”

Max just shook his head, standing from his chair and righting it under the table again before taking a seat on the other couch cushion and picking the remote up off the floor, “Not hungry. I’ll take coffee if you have it.”

“Sorry, kiddo. No coffee. I’ve got tea, though,” David said, remembering Officer Braggins’ mug and carrying it to the kitchen.

“Gay,” Max muttered, flipping the TV on and finding some lame soap opera on.

“Max,” David scolded as he rinsed off the mug and started to prepare himself some cinnamon oatmeal. He started to compile a list of things he’d need to buy, especially since he would have a new guest staying with him for no discernable amount of time. “By the way, Max, what all did you bring with you in that backpack of yours?”

“Not a lot. Didn’t really have a lot of time to pack,” Max said, moving off the couch and towards his backpack next to the door, “I think I grabbed a change of clothes and, like, my toothbrush. Oh, and Mr. Honeynuts.”

“Your bear,” David asked, slightly amused that the boy didn’t think to grab his brush or a pair of socks, but had to bring his stuffed animal.

“Yeah, my bear. Fuck off,” Max frowned, “And a bit of cash, too. Used to babysit every once in awhile for my neighbor. I’ve been saving a lil bit for about a year now.”

David smiled to himself as he stirred his oatmeal and placed it in the microwave, “That’s...really mature of you, Max. Most kids would spend whatever money they got immediately.”

“Do I seem like most kids, David,” Max joked hollowly as he carefully went through his things. He had pulled out a long sleeved, red t-shirt, his bear, and his toothbrush as he spoke. He paused as he realized he had grabbed one last thing: a picture. He quickly closed his backpack, shoving it away and standing with his toothbrush, “Can I borrow some toothpaste?”

“Yeah, of course,” David smiled as he grabbed his oatmeal and sat at his kitchen table, attention turning to the soap drama on right now. Max wandered into the bathroom, getting a little cleaned up while David shoved the piping hot oatmeal in his mouth. Once both of the guy’s had finished their respective chores, David changed into a pair of khaki shorts and a loose t-shirt, brushing his hair down and running his toothbrush over his teeth quickly before grabbing his keys and ushering Max out the door.

The grocery store wasn’t a long walk from David’s apartment building thankfully. David had typed a quick list into his notes on things he would need, like bread, shampoo, fruits, etc.

“So what all do we have to get,” Max asked, completely disinterested as he pulled on a nearby shopping cart.

“Well, we need bread, milk, shampoo,” David started to list as he took the buggy from Max, heading towards the dairy aisle, “And you probably need some things, too.”

Max just shrugged, “Wouldn’t mind actual coffee instead of whatever that shit you have.”

“Language, Max,” David sighed as he crept slowly up the aisle, pulling creamer and milk off the shelves before turning the corner to grab some bananas.

Shopping wasn't fun, but for some reason, David still enjoyed himself as he corralled Max through the store, pulling him away from display cases and keeping a watchful eye on the child as he decided which cereal he liked better. Max wasn't nearly as destructive as he would be if he was back at Camp Campbell, which David guessed might be a result of Nikki and Niel’s absence. Those two always seemed to bring out the more devious side of his. Instead, Max was a lot more quiet, staying relatively close to David’s side, only running down the aisles when something caught his eye.

David pushed the cart to the check out, careful not to rattle to basket too much. Max had started to complain that his feet were tired and promptly climbed into the shopping cart, moving aside the groceries so he could sit down. David tried to pull Max out, but he refused, hooking his finger into the metal mesh and causing a scene next to couple looking over the paper towel section. So David relented, letting Max be.

As David pulled next to the conveyor belt, Max started putting the grocery on the line. David smiled, thanking him before coming face to face with a younger woman at the register.

“What a cutie,” the girl smiled, looking over at Max, “And helpful too. You have a very sweet son.”

David faltered, cheeks flaring as he glanced between Max and the cashier. Max didn't seem to hear that, fighting a twelve pack of toilet paper next to a box of Froot Loops.

“Oh y-yeah,” David stuttered as he began to grab some of the bags next to the cashier, “He’s- He’s great.”

David made sure to grab the rest of the bags and pay as quickly as he could. That was probably one of the weirdest experiences he’s ever had at a grocery store. Did he even look old enough to have a kid Max’s age? The trip back home was quiet as David led the way back to his apartment. He kicked open the front door, setting the groceries down in the kitchen and rushing to put the milk and creamer in the fridge.

“So, what do you want for dinner,” David asked over his shoulder as Max set the rest of the groceries on the floor next to the counter, “I was thinking spaghetti and meatballs. Sound good to you?”

“Sure,” Max shrugged, running a hand through his hair before pulling it away in disgust, “Hey, I need to shower.”

“Go on ahead,” David said, rummaging through the bags before pulling out a new bottle of shampoo, “Towels are under the sink. Let me grab you a change of clothes.”

David walked through the living room to his closet, searching for something small enough for Max to wear before finding a pair of basketball shorts and a grey tank top that hadn’t fit David in years. He handed the clothes over to Max, who grabbed it from his hands on the way to the bathroom. David immediately began to prepare for dinner, preheating a pot of water on the stove. Suddenly, his flip phone started to ring from his pocket, and David pulled it out, answering the call without needing to look at the caller ID.

“Gwen! How’s it going,” David asked, resting the phone between his shoulder and ear.

“Good I guess,” Gwen said. She sounded so much better than yesterday, “Just wondering how you and Max were doing.”

“Everything’s great,” David smiled as he turned towards the living room, straightening up a little as the water heated up, “Just making dinner right now. Max is in the shower.”

“Cool,” Gwen said before going silent. David could hear her puff out some air, probably because she was smoking. She really shouldn’t do that if she cared about her health, but David didn’t need to remind her of that.

“Yeah,” David replied, feeling a lull in the conversation, “Oh, by the way, I contacted the police.”

“Really,” Gwen asked incredulously, “Why? How did that go?”

David sighed as he began to fluff the backs of the couch, “Not horribly. We talked to an officer and a social worker about Max’s situation, and for the time being, they said Max could stay with me while they questioned his father.”

“Damn,” Gwen replied, voice quiet, “That’s some tough shit for Max to be going through. Tell the little shit hi for me.”

“Will do,” David laughed, “I’ll talk to you later, Gwen.”

“Bye,” Gwen said before the line went dead. David pocketed his phone as he carried his and Max’s shoes towards the door. Max’s backpack was sitting next to the armrest of the couch, and David nearly tripped on it. He leaned over to pick up the bag, but only succeeded in kicking it over. Darn him and his gangly legs.

He righted the bag, noting the things that fell out. Mr. Honeynuts stared blankly at him, button eyes a little skewed. Max was right about him having some cash as David spotted a plastic bag full of ones. Underneath all of that, though, was an aged photo, a little crumpled from sitting at the bottom of his bag. David carefully picked the photo up.

It was a polaroid of a newborn Max and a young woman, no older than 21, holding max closely to her chest as she looked just off to the left of the camera. Her smile was bright and lively and Max was barely bigger than the length of her arm. David was more captured by Max, though. He was so small, his cheeks red and his hair was peeking around a lime green baby cap. His eyes were just as bright green as now, looking up at the woman with a tender smile on his lips. David examined the photo intensely, taking in the raw emotion of the photo.

“What the hell are you doing,” A very familiar voice yelled from the bathroom. David immediately dropped the photo, turning to Max like a deer in headlights. Max’s face was scrunched up in pure anger, his hands clenched as he stepped dangerously closer to David, “Why were you going through my shit?!”

“I-I’m,” David stuttered, glancing at the photo that had flitted to the ground, “I wasn’t- I was trying-”

“I don’t give a shit,” Max bellowed as he charged across the room, dropping to his knees next to his bag and shoving everything that had fallen out back into it. He snatched the backpack off the ground, clutching it to his chest and he stared David down, “Don’t you ever go near my shit again or I swear to god I will kill you.”

Max stormed over to David’s bed, climbing onto it and sitting down in a huff, crushing the bag to his chest. David was a little lost, not sure whether he should pursue Max or just leave him be. David settled on the latter, heading back into the kitchen to finish working on dinner. He flipped on the TV, scrolling through the channels to put on something as background noise before finding a documentary on baby sloths airing on the Discovery Channel. David listened on as worked, throwing himself into his cooking. He loved to cook; he just never had the time, money, or purpose to cook wonderful meals. After all, it was pointless to make a nice meal if he was the only one enjoying it.

As David turned off the stove, he gazed around the corner into his bedroom. Max was still sitting with his back towards David, but it looked like the kid had dozed off while fuming to himself. David couldn’t help but smile as he finished straining the noodles and redistributing them back into their pot.

“Max,” David called, “Dinner’s ready. Wake up.”

David could hear Max grumbling to himself as he climbed off the bed, a yawn alerting him to the incoming ten year old. David began to dish up a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs, handing it to the still-groggy Max and turning to make a bowl for himself. The two sat on the couch, the sounds of the narrator and the soft mews of baby sloths the only sounds in the room as David and Max worked pensively on their food. Max finished first, getting up to grab seconds. A few more minutes of silence followed before Max let out a deep breath and mumbled, “That was a dick thing to do.”

David quirked an eyebrow, letting Max continue, “You shouldn’t have gone through my bag.”

“I didn’t,” David explained, playing with the noodles in his bowl, “I was trying to pick up your bag and kicked it over. I didn’t intend to spill your stuff on the ground. It was an honest to god accident.”

“But you were holding my photo,” Max side eyed David, eyes squinting a little as he forked another bite of pasta into his mouth, “You didn’t accidentally grab that.”

“You’re right,” David said, “There isn’t an excuse for that. I’m sorry.”

Max hummed, finishing his bowl of spaghetti before taking his bowl to the sink. David scooped the last bite of his before following Max to the kitchen.

“If you wouldn’t mind helping out, I can put up dinner if you want to rinse off the bowls,” David suggested, looking over to Max who avoided his eyes. Max gave no sign that he heard David but turned to the sink, turning on the tap and beginning to scrub out the pasta. David went to work on packing the last couple of meatballs and sauce into a storage container.

“That’s the only photo of me and my mom,” Max said quietly, causing David to glance over, “It’s one of the happiest photos I’ve ever seen of her.”

“She’s very pretty,” David replied unsurely. He didn’t know if Max was trying to start a conversation or just explain the photo.

“She was beautiful,” Max’s voice was hollow, sending a shiver through David, “She, uh...she left my dad a few years ago. Said she couldn’t take it anymore. I guess she forgot to take me with her.”

David’s throat was starting to close, heart dropping to his feet as he watched Max turn off the tap, facing David but eyes downcast.

“I was being an ass. Sorry,” Max apologized. David’s heart lurched as he took a knee, reaching out to gently pat the top of Max’s head.

“I’m sorry, too,” David murmured, “Your mom is really missing out on watching such a good kid grow up.”

“Oh shut up,” Max snapped, his voice venomless and his cheeks reddening as he swatted David’s hand from his head before turning away from the man and wandering into the living room.

David smiled to himself, a feeling close to pride flooding his veins as he stood up. Gwen was so worried about Max being the worst brat alive if left alone with David, but he was so the exact opposite. He was kind, and caring, and even apologized. This was a completely new side of Max David had never seen, and gosh darn it if he didn’t want to stick around longer to see Max develope into the well-rounded, good kid he had the potential to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was. 11 pages. i'm dead. i am ghost typing this.
> 
> this probably has a ton of mistakes but honestly idc. i just feel horrible that it's been three days without a new chapter.
> 
> also, this story is like, unofficially broken into three part. think of this as the end of part 1.
> 
> anyway, comment, give kudos, bookmark if you wanna. i love seeing people enjoying this, so please, don't be afraid to leave your praise.


	5. A More Permanent Solution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooooo this chapter isn't nearly as long as the last. sorry babes. but hey. dadvid is in full swing
> 
> if you didn't read my note at the bottom of the last chapter, then let me just take a sec to let y'all know that this is technically the beginning of the second "act" of this story. i've unofficially broken it down into three separate parts. part two is definitely going to be the longest of the parts, if my calculations serve me correct, so just be prepared for this section to be the bulk of the story.
> 
> also lol let's play a drinking game where we take a shot every time i say shrug because im too unoriginal enough to think of a better way to express the physical version of 'meh'.
> 
> anywayyyyyy let's get on with the chapter!

One could say that David was anticipating the call he got at 5:30 on the dot. It wasn’t that hard to predict, considering he got it every work day for the past three weeks, and it was always the exact same thing said to him in the exact same way.

“David, where the hell are you,” Max complained the minute David had managed to slink into the bathroom to answer his phone, “There’s this bratty girl here that has literally asked me eleven times ‘so who’s picking you up’ and it’s starting to get on my damn nerves.”

“I’m sorry, Max. I’m still going to be in the office another 30 minutes at least,” David sighed as he leaned against the sink, head hanging, “Jeremy has been on my case since I ran out of work to get you weeks ago.”

“Tell him it’s an emergency,” Max griped, “Or, hell, tell him you don’t give a shit and walk out.”

“No can do,” David jumped when one of his co-workers came into the bathroom, eyeing him suspiciously as they made their way into a stall, “I’ll be on the way soon. Just hang tight and tell one of the teachers I’ll be on my way.”

David said a quick goodbye and hung up, making it a point to run back to his desk before Jeremy noticed David had left. David was itching to rush out of his job at precisely 6pm to jump on the bus and pick up Max from school. David’s life had gotten a lot more hectic with Max under his care, but David wasn’t complaining. Yes, he did miss sleeping in for an extra hour and a half, but David wanted to be able to escort Max to school, especially considering David technically lived outside of the district and Max couldn’t be trusted to ride the bus alone. Luckily, Max’s school offered an after-school program that was essentially a glorified babysitting gig for high schoolers looking for a volunteer opportunity. The problem was that the program ended at 5:45pm and Max was now the last child left to be picked up. Every day.

David jumped off the bus, loosening his tie as he approached the front of the school, climbing the stone steps and stepping into the air-conditioned building. Right before him, sitting on a bench outside of the principal’s office, was Max and some teenage girl playing on her phone. Hovering nearby was the Vice Principal, Ms. Anderson, whom David was becoming quite familiar with.

“Fucking finally,” Max cheered, jumping from the bench to stand next to David, “Let’s go. If I am forced to spend one more iota of time in this god-forsaken hell hole, I might just pull a Tate on all these dipshits.”

David’s nervous smile was swapped for a slightly less enthused frown, “You’ve been watching too much American Horror Story.”

Max just shrugged before turning towards Ms. Anderson, who was storming haughtily towards David, stopping a little over a foot from David before pointing an accusing finger in his face, “Mr. Green, do you understand what time it is? Our after-school program ended 45 minutes ago, and yet Max is still here. This is a volunteer job, not a babysitting gig. Start arriving sooner or we will call DEFACS.”

“Good luck with that,” Max said nonchalantly, “They can’t take me away from a place I don’t even live-”

“Uh, actually, yes, Max, they can,” David stuttering, trying to block Max from the vice principal, “Please don’t call DEFACS. I’ll try my best to get here sooner, but my job doesn’t get out until 6pm and I can’t afford a babysitter. This is my only option right now.”

Ms. Anderson sighed, massaging her temples and making her glasses bob, “Fine. Just please, try your best to be here as soon as you can.” She turned away from the two males towards the teenager on the bench, who had eavesdropped on their entire conversation, “Tori, go ahead and go home. Thank you for staying so late.”

David could swear he had never seen a high schooler move quicker than the girl as she bolted passed David and through the front door. Before David could breath a sigh of relief, Ms. Anderson’s sharp glare was back on David.

“And you, Mr. Green, please show up on time tomorrow,” She said before turning and marching into the principal’s office. David nodded, swallowing hard before taking Max’s hand tightly in his and power-walking through the front doors.

David didn’t let go until they were on a bus back home. David let his head hang in exhaustion, feeling nearly comforted by the rocking of the bus aside from the strong smell of tobacco that always seemed to loiter on public transportation.

David could not wait until Max’s case was closed and he was in a more permanent home. The best part, David thought, was that he didn’t even feel that way because Max was a bother. David loved having Max around. Despite all of Gwen’s warnings, Max wasn’t nearly the problem kid he was during the summer. A little moody, yes, a little foul-mouthed, sure, a little devious, okay. But he wasn’t destructive or disruptive or manipulative. He was mostly just quiet, keeping to himself and doing his own thing. David liked it. Max was somehow the perfect housemate for David’s outrageous energy and bustle.

“So,” Max started, sitting forward on the plastic seat, “Have you heard any latest news on my dad?”

“Sorry, kiddo,” David met Max’s eyes, “Nothing new yet.”

“Oh,” Max sat back, eyebrows scrunching together. If Max was concerned, he had every right to be. Apparently, the day Officer Braggins sent one of her fellow police officers to pay Max’s dad a visit, Max’s dad had opened fire, wounding an officer in the shoulder before fleeing from the house and eluding the cops. He was on the run, and had been for nearly a month now.

The two made their way back to David’s apartment, trying and failing to outrun the rain that started to fall when they were still half a block from David’s door. When they got inside the cozy apartment, they were shivering and soaked to the bone.

“Go change,” David instructed, pushing Max towards the bathroom, “Wouldn’t want you to get sick.”

Max dug through some of the new clothes David bought him, pulling out a long-sleeved white thermal and a pair of Batman pajama pants before ducking into the bathroom. David immediately got to work pre-heating a can of tomato soup and coating a pan with butter, deciding today was ultimately a tomato-soup-and-grilled-cheese-sandwiches kind of day.

Max tossed his wet clothes in a laundry basket by the door before falling on the couch, sliding his backpack his way and grabbing a comic book from the bag. He got comfy on the couch, flipping through the colorful pages as David sung quietly to himself as he worked.

The two lived in comfortable silence for a couple of minutes before David looked over his shoulder at the focused boy on the couch, smiling as he said, “Hey, buddy, maybe you could go ahead and start on your homework.”

“Nah,” Max mumbled before turning another page.

“Max,” David reprimanded, voice a little more forceful, “Start your homework. You can read your comic after.”

Max flicked him off after that, “Fuck off, camp man.”

“Please,” David’s tough act crumbled as he stopped stirring the soup, “For me?”

Max didn’t respond, eyes skimming the pages of the comic intently. David turned away, checking that the dinner he prepared hadn’t gotten burned. Satisfied with his work, he turned off the stove and began to dish up the soup into two bowls. Max, like a ghost, had silently sidled up to him, taking the bowl from David before ripping up his grilled cheese sandwich and plopping the bits into his tomato soup. David laughed silently at the ten year old before both of them sat on the couch, flipping on Wheels of Fortune and devouring their soup. Max had a knack for the showing, guessing the phrases correct with only a couple of letters on the board.

“So how was school,” David asked as Max yelled at the TV, complaining about how ‘fucking idiotic’ the people were being for not guessing the phrase by now.

“‘Pushing up daisies’ isn’t hard to guess, people,” Max griped as he spooned another bite of soup into his mouth, “Decent, I guess. Not a lot happened. Hate long division.” Max paused, eyes turning to the ceiling as he thought. “Managed to convince a kid to give me the answers for our grammar homework, which was cool.”

“What- why- how-,” David stuttered, resting his spoon in his soup and pinching the bridge of his nose, “And how in the world did you manage that?”

“Told him he probably had all the answers wrong and if he didn’t want to get a zero, he should let me look over them,” Max was proud of himself as he beamed into his soup, “Didn’t think it would actually work. I’m pretty proud of myself for that one.”

“Max, you can’t just manipulate people like that,” David exhaled, a little disappointed with Max’s behavior, “You won’t learn anything if you just copy other people’s work. Plus, what if all his answers were wrong, anyway? You’d just feel dumb if you cheated off a person who was wrong in the first place.”

Max huffed, setting his bowl on the ground and turning towards David, “If I do my stupid homework, will you be happy?”

David beamed, “Absolutely.”

Max’s eyes squinted as he studies David’s face, his signature pout hardening as he reached for his backpack, spilling it onto the floor and opening his binder up. David could have cheered as he watched Max take out a pencil and begin on his math homework, scribbling furiously onto the paper. David leaned down, removing Max’s empty bowl from the floor and slipping it into his own as he carried the dishes to the sink, running water over them and beginning to do the dishes that had slowly piled up in the sink. David had to admit that he would sneak glances at Max as he worked, chewing on his eraser as he focused on the papers scattered around him. Max, in a matter of weeks, was now looking as happy and healthy as he was at Camp Campbell. His skin had returned to a much better color than just a few weeks ago, the black eye all but a memory, and he had even gained back some of the weight he had lost over the month back home. He was just like any other ten year old, albeit a little more cynical, but that just made him Max.

David finished washing the dishes, setting them on the wire racks next to the sink to dry before walking next to the papers scattered around the floor and taking a seat in front of the boy laying on the floor. Max paused, looking up at David through his lashes before scrunching his eyebrows together in confusion.

“What the hell are you doing,” Max asked, intrigue dripping from his voice as he glared up at David.

David just shrugged his shoulders before smiling at Max, “Thank you for doing your homework.”

Max’s cheeks colored red as he rested his chin in his palm, “Well, you wouldn’t shut up about it.” Max hesitated as he quickly tacked on a quick ‘don’t look too deeply into this’. David just smiled, looking over the simple fourth grade math. If David was being honest, Max could problem solve a long division problem before David could even start. God, he’s been out of school too long.

“What,” Max snapped, voice lacking a certain edge that David had gotten used to over the summer, “Quit staring at me, freak.”

David immediately looked down, fiddling with his fingers. He actually did have something he wanted to ask Max. The idea was something he had a few nights ago while readjusting endlessly on the couch in the middle of the night. It was stupidly obvious that David nearly shook Max awake right then and there just to ask him, but he refrained, giving himself a few days to think on the subject before he impulsively snapped to any sort of conclusion.

“Well,” David started, sitting on his hands and looking Max directly in the eye, “I was wondering, if I moved to a bigger apartment, would...you want to move with me?”

Max blinked slowly, sitting back on his knees as he processed what the older man in front of him just suggested, “Are you asking me if I want to keep living with you? Like, permanently?”

“No. Wait, yes,” David stuttered, fighting the urge to keep fiddling with his hands as his heart rate slowly accelerated, “Only if you want to. I don’t want to pressure you or anything. I just figured that maybe you’d be happy here. With me. Maybe.”

Max swallowed, eyes shining with just a hint of surprise as he looked towards the ground. A moment of silence passed before Max cleared his throat, “My dad still has custody of me, though.”

David’s heart dropped as he cautiously said, “Do you want to go back to him?”

“What? No,” Max exclaimed, emerald eyes shooting to meet David’s, “He was hell incarnate. No fucking way.”

David nodded dumbly before speaking up, “Then I don’t see why you can’t stay with me.”

Max swallowed before looking at his limp hands resting in his lap, “But...why? Wouldn’t it be easier on you to dump me with Child Protective Services? You can barely afford rent, working hella long hours at a job you hate, and now you’ll have to take care of me.” Max’s voice wavered as his hands clenched. “Why are you trying so hard?”

David was tongue tied as he looked over Max.

Why was he trying so hard? Was that an actual question?

“Because,” David stated in all his articulate glory. Max glanced back up at him, waiting a second before his eyes hardened into a disbelieving glare.

“Because,” he repeated slowly, “Because what?”

David smiled, sitting up straighter as he repeated, “Because.”

“Okay,” Max said slowly as he looked up to the ceiling.

“So,” David asked, leaning a little closer, “What do you say? Would you want to?”

Max sighed, his appearance making him seem a little irritated, but David knew better. Max slowly lowered his head, eyes scanning David’s face before he crossed his arms and looked just slightly to David’s left.

“I’ll think about it.”

Those four words made David’s heart swell and he had to seriously restrain himself from diving at Max and tackling him in a hug. Max wasn’t the most accepting person in the world, and David knew that, but the fact that Max would even think about the possibility of staying with David was like an early Christmas present for the man. It was no shock that David had a soft spot for the boy, considering how he always went out of his way to make sure Max was included and having fun at Camp Campbell. Heck, he ran across town just to make sure the youngster was alright when he left home. Max entertaining the idea of staying with him meant he didn’t absolutely loathe his old camp counselor, and that fact alone kept David’s spirits up for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> would you believe me if i told you it's 3:33am right now while i writing this?
> 
> thank you so much for all the amazing feedback i've gotten on this work. i really try my damndest to make this work entertaining. i hope that comes across and isn't lost in translation. ^^;
> 
> this chapter was sort of pain to write. tbh i actually was just planning on starting it and just working on it tomorrow but my brain went 'lol hey how about we just finish it all in one go' so here we are now. thanks brain. i know future me is really gonna love you when i wake up at 10am.
> 
> anywayyyyyy i'll see y'all in the next chapter. bye!


	6. Wednesdays Were Not Exciting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i've got about another three chapters to write, and then!! Halloween Special!! Heck yeah
> 
> btw i love my smol sad son.
> 
> i don't have a lot to say. soooooo onto the chapter!

Max should have known that the minute he told David he would even consider living with David, the grown man would pester him for an answer, making exaggerated promises and bribes to convince the ten year old to stay with him permanently. David just knew that if he didn’t constantly try to persuade Max into stay with him, Max may just pretend it never happened, and that would be one huge digression. Max was finally, maybe, opening up to David. David knew he couldn’t let this chance go to waste.

The morning had been relatively quiet as David scooted Max out the front door. Wednesdays weren’t known to be incredibly exciting, and Max was basically dozing on the railing to the stairs as David fumbled to lock the door. He had his hands full, as per usual, with Max’s backpack, his wallet, his keys, his bus pass, and a thermos full of black coffee.

“Max, a little help here,” David pleaded, turning towards Max. Emerald eyes glared tiredly up at David before taking the thermos from David’s hands and sipping slowly. David’s hopeful look fell into unamusement as he turned back to the door, managing to turn the key and effectively lock up their apartment before setting off into the chilly October air.

“Alright,” David said, a pep in his step as he bounced down the stairs, passing off Max’s belongings to the grumpy pre-teen following him, “I packed your lunch for you. A turkey sandwich, easy honey mustard, no crust, just like you like it. I even splurged and bought you some chips. They’re not on-brand, but hey, at least it’s something. Also, you left your comics out again. I put them in your bag for you, but you know you need to start remembering to clean up after yourself. Oh, and-”

“David, for the love of God, shut the fuck up,” Max groaned, rubbing his temple with his free hand as the made their way to the bus stop, “How are you so damn chipper? It’s 6 in the goddamn morning.”

“Language, Max,” David pouted as he ruffled the boy’s black curls, “Plus, why shouldn’t I be? It’s a whole new day, and if you start off believing it will be a good one, then it usually is.”

Max rolled his eyes as he shuffled along the cracked sidewalk, “Aren’t you heading to a job you hate?”

David’s smile shrunk as he rubbed the back of his neck before clearing his throat, “Well, uh, you see-”

David’s phone began to ring from his pocket and David reached to answer it in a flash. He would much rather answer his phone than Max’s question any day. He checked the call ID, frowning at the unusual area code before answering.

“Hello,” David answered, voice wary and his steps slowing to a pause a little bit away from the bus. There was a beat of silence before a familiar voice greeted him.

“Hello, is this David Green,” A female voice said from the other line, David immediately placing the voice with the female officer that came to his apartment that one day for Max.

“Oh! Yes, it is,” David smiled, easily slipping into an easy mood even though a tight coil of dread was wrapping itself around his stomach, “This is Officer Braggins, isn’t it?”

Officer Braggins breathed a hint of a laugh before responding, “Great memory. Do you have a moment?”

Oh no.

“Yes, of course,” David replied, placing a hand on Max’s shoulder before steering the both of them away to a small overhang next to an alley. David glanced down at Max, noticing the hint of concern on his face. David squeezed reassuringly on Max’s shoulder before tuning back to the phone call.

Officer Braggins sigh was deafening over the earpiece of the phone as she informed, “Well, you did want to be alerted of a change in Max’s case. Max’s father was detained late last night by the Mexican border patrol trying to illegally cross into the country.”

David’s mouth felt slack. He wasn’t sure how to process this information so early in the morning.

“We’re taking him into custody and charging his with possession, child endangerment, child neglect, intent to sell, and assaulting an officer of the law. We expect him to be charged fully with the majority of the crimes, but we may need Max to give a testimony against his father.”

David knew Max could hear everything the officer was saying through the crappy speaker of his flip phone by his downcast eyes. David’s heart lurched as he ran his hand through the boy’s curls gently before stating slowly, “Max is free to do whatever he wants. I’m not going to make him do anything he won’t like.”

Max’s emerald eyes snapped to meet David’s, surprised flashing across his face before it settled into a small, somber expression. He returned his gaze to his red and white sneakers as he scuffed the toe of his shoe against the concrete.

“One question, though,” David added, attention shifting to a different topic but an important one nevertheless, “What about Max’s living situation? Is he going to stay with me?”

“Mr. McCorrin is officially assigned to your case and, for the time being, Max’s official social worker. He’ll be handling the case with a bit more a personal connection than I will. I’ll fight to stay on the case so you have someone on your side,” Officer Braggins recited with a smile in her voice, helping ease the weight in David’s diaphragm. David couldn’t help but smile with her. “Luckily, I believe he’ll be stopping by to talk to you about all of that Saturday morning.”

“Wonderful,” David sighed, absentmindedly patting the top of Max’s hair. The boy half-heartedly swatted at him, eyes still examining the trampled dandelion a few feet away.

“We’ll keep in touch, Mr. Green. Have a great rest of your morning.”

The call ended before David was able to say anything back. He stared at the little screen of his phone before pocketing the device and glimpsing the boy hovering by his waist. David had know Max long enough to read his body language pretty well. Yeah, Max was tough and didn’t have a problem being strong, but Max’s newly developed exhaustion wasn’t from being awake this early. He was slumped against the window behind them, staring off to nothing and almost physically trying to shrink into himself.

David sighed, pulling his phone back out and ringing his office’s phone. He waited a couple of seconds, listening to the connecting jingle before he heard a gruff voice pick up the receiver.

“Hello,” Jeremy asked, voice still croaky from sleep. He must have just gotten into the office.

“Hey, Jeremy, hi,” David rushed to say, trying not to trip over his own tongue, “It’s David. Listen, something's come up and I’m going to have to call in sick.”

“What do you mean,” Jeremy pressed. David could feel the nervous sweat already beading on his back.

“It’s...Max,” David stammered. The aforementioned boy was watching him like a hawk, eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. “He’s got food poisoning.”

Jeremy was silent for a couple seconds before grumbling, “Fine. Whatever. Get him better and I’ll see you at 7am on the dot tomorrow.”

“Yes, of course,” David nearly cheered but contained it for later, “Thank you!”

“Yeah, yeah. Bye, David.”

Again, before he could say a farewell, he was hung up on. He didn’t mind in the slightest as he turned to Max, nearly beaming. Max stepped backwards, shoulders raising defensively.

“What’s your deal,” Max questioned, scanning David as he pocketed his phone one last time and heading back to their apartment. Max followed a few feet behind, watching David with intrigue.

“Let’s skip today,” David smiled over his shoulder as he pushed past early morning commuters. Max jogged to keep up with the man, grabbing the back of his suit coat to not lose David in the flow of foot traffic.

Max’s jaw dropped as he stared at the back of David’s head. David? Skipping? What?

“...why,” Max asked slowly.

David slowed to a stop, turning to face the dumbfounded look on Max’s face. His beaming smile softened as he shrugged, saying, “I think, maybe just for today, we can stay home and watch action movies and eat ice cream in our pajamas.” Max’s confusion didn’t subside, so David just sighed and gently wrapped a hand around Max’s before guiding them down the sidewalk. “Come on, kiddo.”

Max will never admit it. He will never confess that David’s lame attempt at comforting him wasn’t all that lame. He would choose torture than say the truth that he actually had a great day watching mind-numbing action movies as he ate cherry garcia on the couch covered in a mound of blankets.

But it was all true. As Max got a brain freeze from the half-tub of ice cream he injested and laughed at David’s rather ridiculous protests at the reality of the movies they were watching, Max couldn’t help but realize that with every small laugh and bite of ice cream and scene of fighting, he maybe wasn’t doing all that bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this was originally going to be one mega chapter but honestly the next chapter may be a lil heavy so i went "yeah no"
> 
> i tried to be a bit more detailed with my work because ive been reading other works (sooo many good works out there omg) and the thing i realized i loved the most was all the detail. so i definitely tried.
> 
> comment! give kudos! bookmark! please!!

**Author's Note:**

> man I really hope this chapter is as good as my mom said it was.  
> that was a joke.
> 
> anyway! thank you so much for reading this chapter! I really appreciate it so much, like, words can't describe it. it's a little rough, but hey, it's something.
> 
> I won't be able to promise a next chapter anytime soon really, between my busy work schedule and just ~life~ in general, but it is coming. this work is my new baby.
> 
> see y'all next time!


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